RIM Shows Off New Browser, Servers, 'SuperApps'

Research in Motion on Tuesday unveiled a new browser, an updated strategy towards mobile applications, and new BlackBerry servers, including a free option.

BARCELONA - Research in Motion on Tuesday unveiled a new browser, an updated strategy towards mobile applications, and new BlackBerry servers, including a free option.

But what stood out most during co-CEO Mike Lazaridis' keynote here at Mobile World Congres was his focus on network efficiency. The existing growth of applications is unsustainable because of the lack of network spectrum, he said.

Lazaridis started by noting that one in six phones sold last year was a smartphone, and that BlackBerry had a 43 percent market share. But he cited research from Peter Rysavy, which said that the surge in wireless data services is creating a capacity crunch, resulting in dropped calls and slow or non-working data applications. So far, he said, the industry has looked to workarounds like Wi-Fi off-loading and femtocells, but that just won't work. There isn't as much spectrum available as will be needed for all the applications and usage that people want.

As an alternative, Lazaridis talked about how BlackBerry devices were designed to scale better, allowing for fast and efficient mobile e-mail, document attachments, and faster and more reliable applications. This leads, he said, to more reliable applications and to better battery life. He said network operators can support three BlackBerry browsing sessions for every one on another platform.

With that in mind, he showed off BlackBerry's new WebKit-based browser, though he didn't say when it was being released. What makes this different from other browsers, he said, it not only is it rendered well, it respects carriers' networks and is much more network-efficient. Lazaridis showed it scoring 100 percent on the Acid 3 test for rendering the Web.

On applications, Lazaridis pushed what he called "SuperApps," saying "what matters is quality not quantity," a clear dig at other vendors. He said you don't need 100,000 applications, you need ones you love.

He talked about how BlackBerry has always allowed multi-tasking, cut and paste, and sharing information among applications. He said BlackBerry users spend most of their time in the inbox, so BlackBerry will open that up to extensions.

These "SuperApps" are contextual, integrated, and efficient for operators. For instance, he showed how you can view and send Twitter tweets directly from the inbox. He also showed an eBay application that synced automatically with the calendar, and sent alerts directly to the inbox.

He also showed a demonstration of music transferring automatically from a BlackBerry to a car's audio system via Bluetooth, which was then seamlessly interrupted by a voice call.

In summary, Lazaridis pushed the BlackBerry's multi-threaded operating system, rich APIs, and partnership with middleware makers, as making it easier for developersin particular, corporate developersto create network and cost-efficient applications.

He also announced a free version of BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express, with free server and client licenses that run on existing mail servers; as well as a higher-end Enterprise Server Bundle with features like enterprise social networking, video, and full wireless PBX integration. BES Express is aimed at letting small- and medium-sized businesses go to BlackBerry without additional cost.

RIM's focus on network efficiency is certainly unusual and a big differentiator for the platform. But I'm not convinced consumers care, so it would be up to operators and BlackBerry to prove that this will make for more reliable or less expensive services.

Michael J. Miller's Forward Thinking Blog: forwardthinking.pcmag.com
Michael J. Miller is chief information officer at Ziff Brothers Investments, a private investment firm. From 1991 to 2005, Miller was editor-in-chief of PC Magazine, responsible for the editorial direction, quality and presentation of the world's largest computer publication.
Until late 2006, Miller was the Chief Content Officer for Ziff Davis Media, responsible for overseeing the editorial positions of Ziff Davis's magazines, websites, and events. As Editorial Director for Ziff Davis Publishing since 1997, Miller took an active role in...
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